Missing Tracks of LL Cool J's Rare Duet with Michael Jackson Discovered

Gregg Musgrove, a former California Highway Patrol officer, stumbled upon the unreleased Michael Jackson tracks, one of which is a rare duet with hip-hop icon LL Cool J, in a storage unit he bought in the San Fernando Valley that once belonged to music producer Bryan Loren.

It includes 12 unreleased tracks recorded from 1989-1991 just prior to Jackson's multi-platinum selling "Dangerous" album, including "Truth on Youth," a collaboration with LL Cool J.

In an interview last October, LL Cool J opened up about working with Jackson on the songs and said Jackson ultimately decided the songs weren't up to his standards.

"Mike didn't... they weren't good enough," he admitted. "Sometimes the art don't get there."

He fondly remembered an exchange in the studio about Jackson's signature forward lean from the "Smooth Criminal" video, where Jackson joked that a shaman had been involved before breaking into laughter.

"I'm like, yo, how'd y'all do that thing with 'Smooth Criminal' when you lean in and all that?" LL recalled, as quoted by AllHipHop. Jackson, he said, replied with, "Well, we brought in a shaman and had a big ceremony, burned candles and incense."

This indicates a collaborative spirit between the two that has been reaffirmed recently, despite a prior leak of one collaboration, titled "Serious Effect."

Another notable track discovered is titled "Don't Believe It," which is another reference to the many rumors about Jackson at the time.

Musgrove recalled being emotionally invested while hearing his unreleased material.

"I would get goosebumps because nobody's ever heard this stuff before," he said.

He noted that some recordings even feature Jackson in conversation, showcasing a side of his personality fans have never witnessed.

But while these unreleased tracks are certainly worth getting excited over, it doesn't sound like they will be getting an official release anytime soon.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Jackson estate did their own investigation in to Musgrove's tapes but won't buy them for reasons they'll not disclose and has given him a letter in which it says they do not assert ownership of the recordings.